Three days later, the local constables were finally able to determine who the two burnt corpses belonged to. While Director Ling had asked us to assist with the case, there was nothing we could do to help. The constables were busy questioning the neighbours to search for suspects and the magistrate and his steward personally questioned all the people who worked in the Ministry of Rites.
All this questioning and searching proved to be useless since none of the neighbours had heard or spotted anything suspicious the day the ministry was burned. Furthermore, all the people who could get jobs in the Ministry of Rites are rich and arrogant people who only mingled with people in their social circles.
These people will not have any enemies who would aim for their lives since they all grew up in a family where they are taught that there are no eternal friends or eternal enemies, only eternal interests.
This is the difference between the rich and the poor. The poor will fight and kill for a dime and expect their friends to stab their enemies for them, but the rich will not expect anyone to fight for him and even plan for their friends to fight against them. Furthermore, once the fight is over, the rich can still eat and drink together with their enemies happily while the poor would have created someone who hates them to the core.
On the third day, it was Director Ling who started drumming the drum outside the yamen to report a case of murder. When the drum outside of the yamen is drummed, it means that a person is formally lodging a complaint or report to the magistrate office and the magistrate office will take over the case.
Naturally, all of us went to watch the show in the yamen and the magistrate had already prepared seats for us judges, but the guards would have to join the ranks of the constables.
Inside the yamen, Director Ling walked in with swagger as the court started announcing his arrival. Unlike the previous case I presided over in Xin Cheng village, the director did not bow or kneel when the magistrate entered, instead he stood straight up like an arrow and just watched the entire process of the constables announcing the magistrate's entrance.
Once the magistrate was seated, he looked at Director Ling and asked: "What is your complaint?"
"I am here to report the murder of Ling Yi Sha and Zhang Yang. They should be the two bodies that were found in the Ministry of Rites." Director Ling said loudly and angrily and once he finished talking, the loud chattering of the townsfolk who are watching the open court could be heard.
"It's that adulterous pair!" one of the many voices said out while another voice said "it's that husband killer!" numerous people could be heard saying "it's karma, she deserved it!"
I found the name familiar but could not recall so I looked at Judge Tang and Judge Cui and they looked at me as if I should be familiar with the name.
"It's the woman who the Ku brothers were talking about in the market." Judge Tang said softly to remind me.
"There's no need to be worry so much about not remembering things, your memory will get better as your cultivation increases. Eventually, you'll even find it hard to forget the bad parts of life and wish your memory was not so good." Judge Cui said with a soft chuckle.
Is this really karma, or is it just cause and effect? Was it revenge from the Ku brothers? I ponder on my own while Director Ling starts shouting at Magistrate Dong again.
"The arsonists and murders are Ku De Hua and Ku De Ren! Why aren't you arresting them yet?" Director Ling shouts loudly as he points at Magistrate Dong in anger.
"Are you sure they are Ling Yi Sha and Zhang Yang?" Magistrate Dong asks with a frown. In this world, science and technology aren't developed well. The only technologies that are developed are those to make the rich live more comfortably since cultivators can do everything you can imagine. I have read stories in my mother's diary about cultivators who were able to create an illusion depicting events that happened in a small room, creating something similar to a CCTV.
That said, with the two bodies burnt, there is no way to identify the bodies aside from DNA testing or dental records, which is not practised here. We don't even have dentists here since our teeth will never decay as our food have no sugar or seasoning and the qi in the food we eat helps keep our teeth in perfect condition.
We even have some pills that will allow us to regrow teeth if it is knocked out in a fight. With that said, people still have crooked teeth in this world as nobody has invented braces yet.
"Yes, I am certain it is them! At first, the family believed they were having a tryst and didn't bother looking for them since they are already engaged but it has been four days and they still have not returned! This is not normal! Not to mention that the corpse's height is similar to Ling Yi Sha and Zhang Yang!" Director Ling starts yelling and is out of breath once he is done shouting.
Magistrate Dong takes a glance at us, who are watching the open court with interest and quickly gives an order "Men, Bring Ku De Hua and Ku De Ren here! Also, summon the coroner and inform him to bring the corpse here, and tell the relatives of Zhang Yang to come and identify the body!"
"I believe you can represent Ling Yi Sha's parents and identify her body?" Magistrate asks Director Ling.
"Yes, but it would be better to call for her parents as they are anxiously waiting at home right now since I said that I would be the one to lodge the complaint." Director Ling says.
"Send someone to the Ling family's estate and summon Ling Yi Sha's parents to identify the body. The court will be in recess for lunch and we will resume after lunch!" Magistrate Dong gives out orders and ends the court session as there is nothing much to do while we wait for the constables to summon the people required for the hearing.
...
At lunch, I found some corn and I decided to try and make popcorn. It would be nice to eat popcorn and watch the trail. It feels like being back on Earth, where I could sit on my couch and watch period dramas.
After 20 minutes or so, Uncle Tang walks over to me in the kitchen and brings over a sandwich for me.
"Here, the servants put some lettuce and meat inside as you described for us. It does somehow taste better eating it like this and more filling than just eating plain bread." Uncle Tang says as he hands the sandwich to me.
He watches the pot of popcorn with a puzzled face and starts saying the real reason why he came over.
"Shi er, do you want to skip watching this part of the trial? It is likely that the Ku brothers will be subject to the torture tools during the trial. Such tools are not necessary for an appeal as the magistrate had already performed the interrogations but for the trial...." Uncle Tang asks me with a frown.